Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 30

तारक-कुमार-युद्धवर्णनम् / Description of the Battle between Tāraka and Kumāra

Devanagari script

शक्त्या तया जघानाथ कुमारस्तारकासुरम् । तेजसाढ्यश्शंकरस्य लोकक्लेशकरं च तम्

Transliteration

śaktyā tayā jaghānātha kumārastārakāsuram | tejasāḍhyaśśaṃkarasya lokakleśakaraṃ ca tam

Translation

Với ngọn giáo thiêng ấy, Chúa Kumāra đã đánh hạ Tārakāsura—kẻ tuy được gia trì bởi uy quang rực cháy của Śaṅkara, nhưng lại trở thành nguồn thống khổ cho muôn thế giới.

Word by Word

• शक्त्या: with the spear
• शक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तया: with that
• तया: Karaṇaviśeṣaṇa (करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of शक्त्या)

• जघान: slew
• जघान: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• कुमारः: Kumāra
• कुमारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तारकासुरम्: Tārakāsura
• तारकासुरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध) ‘Tāraka-demon’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेजसा: with splendor/energy
• तेजसा: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आढ्यः: endowed (rich)
• आढ्यः: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of कुमारः)

• शंकरस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शंकरस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोकक्लेशकरम्: causing suffering to the worlds
• लोकक्लेशकरम्: Karmaviśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: loka + kleśa + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्राय) ‘causing distress to the worlds’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तारकासुरम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Shakti Dimension

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Kartikeya (Kumāra/Skanda)
• Shiva (Śaṅkara)
• Tārakāsura

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It shows that Shiva’s śakti (divine power) operates to restore dharma: even when a being gains extraordinary tejas, if it turns into lokakleśa (world-affliction), the Lord’s grace manifests through a divine instrument—here, Kumāra—to remove that bondage-creating adharma.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

The verse highlights Saguna Shiva’s governance: Śaṅkara’s tejas empowers cosmic functions, and that same divine order appoints Kumāra as Shiva’s commander to protect creation. Linga-worship reveres this sustaining, regulating presence of Shiva behind all divine agencies.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to invoke Shiva’s protective śakti through japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and to cultivate inner discipline so that one’s own ‘tejas’ becomes a force for dharma rather than a cause of distress to others.